1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to link chain conveyor systems. In particular, it relates to a vertical loop multi-flex vacuum link chain conveyor for use in inverting an open-ended container while running along a conveying path.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conveyor assemblies for transporting open-ended container shells are well known. Such systems often include guide rail track assemblies for guiding the containers along the conveying path. At some point along the conveying path it is also desirably to cause the container to rotate, or invert, for cleaning or coding.
In the prior art, certain conveyor assemblies are designed to include a system of bar-like rail guide members which are bent and connected is a box-like configuration which spirals along as it travels down the conveying path. With this construction, the containers are forced, or gravity feed, through the guide rails in order to axially rotate the cans while traveling along a conveying line. The cans are typically rotated, or inverted, so that the open ends of the can shells may be exposed to a cleaning agent, such a pressurized stream of ionized air or rinse water.
However, certain problems exist in the use of such spiral track systems. Initially, there is an increasing demand upon container processing facilities to treat aluminum container shells differing in height and diameter to encompass the wide range of capacities which are currently in use. For example, in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, for soft drinks, beers and ready mixed spirit drinks, the most universally used diameter is slightly in excess of 65 mm. European countries mostly use a much narrower size of 52 mm for soft drinks and some beers. More recently, the European size has emerged in the United States and Australasian markets with the appearance of energy drinks, such as RED BULL™, which is a product of European origin. One practical difficulty brought about by the use of these differing standard sizes is that the container processing facilities conveyor lines are often designed with at least two separate branching track lanes, running substantially Parallel to one another, where one of each lane is specifically designed to receive a container having a specific diameter and height. This process design requires an additional amount of space, together with an increase in both maintenance and cost which is especially concerning when taking into consideration that only one branch of the line is in use for any given run.
A second problem which is encountered with the prior art methods is that, in use, such systems are also complicated in manufacture and design, and generate a high degree frictional wear on both the component parts of the track system and the container shells. Moreover, because the prior art track rail systems rely on either a forced or gravity fed flow of the containers through the rail sections, the conveyance flow rate of the containers through the system is a rate limiting factor for the entire processing facility.
Therefore, what is needed is a single track conveyor system which is adaptable for use in conveying and inverting containers which are differing in dimension, but which is also simple in manufacture and design, low in cost, durable in construction, and which is also capable of conveying containers through the conveying lanes at a high rate of speed. The present invention satisfies these needs.